A brief spark
by Angelica R
Summary: [1x18 2x5]: The life and story of Daniel Colter, stable boy, from his first encounter with Regina to his death with also his resurrection. Death ! Fic. StableQueen.


A brief spark.

[1x18 + 2x5]: The life and story of Daniel Colter, stable boy, from his first encounter with Regina to his death with also his resurrection. Death ! Fic.

English version of « Une brève étincelle »

Daniel is twelve years old when he meets princess Regina for the first time. It was not an enjoyable encounter, as she just fell from her horse, on which she just climbed up for the first time. Daniel, in his role of stable boy hands her his hand to help her to go up; the other child, who is just nine years old addresses him a look full of challenge, and whispers with a sharp tone :

"I don't need help."

Daniel understands that she is upset to have fallen facing her father but especially with her _mother_ at the forefront who looks at her with a disapproving look before she leaves. Daniel remarks then that she retains herself from crying with difficulty; maybe even more because of her mother than because of the fall (and of the pain she felt then, because Daniel knows that she suffers _physically_ ).

Then Henry rushes up in her direction and helps her daughter to pick up as he asked her if she wasn't hurt somewhere. Now that Cora is gone, she can stop to retain herself and a tear rolls along her cheek. But despite everything and despite her young age, she tries to stay dignified (a rest of what her mother learned her about how to be a princess). By seeing her go away, Daniel can't help but smiling and rolling his eyes.

He doesn't know why, but he decides that he likes this girl.

 _§§§§_

They have to wait three years before they talk to each other again. Regina is now twelve years old and Daniel fifteen and it is almost a chance if they have to see each other a new time; Daniel becomes the one who teaches riding to her. The thing that is ironic is that this choice emanates from Cora…

But for now, the two adolescents are still children and it's a very cold Regina who welcomes him for her riding lesson. But Daniel learned by his father to see through the masks of the others and rapidly understands that Regina just wears a façade in order to please her mother; at least when this last one is present. Except that she finally stops to look at them after some lessons.

This is when Daniel decides to go to talk to the princess that he knows is friendly (young servants from the castle talked to him about the princess as being an adorable child).

« Hello, he says as Regina comes for her lesson, I never introduced myself, my name is Daniel. And I already know you, you're princess Regina; I am overjoyed to teach you riding, and you seem to be able to become a promising horse-rider."

It wasn't flattery and Daniel saw Regina frown before she smiled and shook the hand the young boy handed her. From this moment, a friendship appeared between these two lonely children.

 _§§§§_

They have to wait the sixteen years of Regina before something stronger than friendship appears between them; a ball will be organized and Regina has the duty to assist to it. She complains, of course because she hates society events and she is persuaded that her mother will try to marry off her with some prince (Daniel knows perfectly that this is not what she wants.)

The evening of the ball happens and Regina shows herself in front of him (in fact Daniel shouldn't be here but the princess succeeded to make him enter), uncertain and embarrassed because she isn't used to it. And in front of her, Daniel freezes; it happens just for some seconds, because she flees just after by offering him a smile.

At that moment, Daniel _really_ understands what he feels for her; he already questions himself since some days, and everything he wants to tell her now, this is how much she is beautiful, strong, clever, and _free,_ and also how much he loves her.

Some days after Daniel kisses her; it's almost a coincidence, because it never should have happen. _Never_. Because nobles and commoners don't mix together, but Daniel loves Regina with all his heart so why would he stop himself to tell her ? He kisses her and she rejects him; it doesn't surprise him because it happened by surprise and she flees just after.

On her face, Daniel reads surprise, discomfort, and worry, but absolutely no disgust. Despite himself and without knowing why, he begins to hope…

Regina comes to see him again just three days after and she is in a terrible anger.

"Why did you kiss me ? She yelled at his face. Why ? Did you think it would be funny ?

\- But absolutely not, Daniel replied with open eyes. Regina, I love you."

The eyes of the young woman open wide; apparently, she doesn't expect this.

"You… love me ? But why ? I… I have nothing extraordinary !

\- But you're you !" Daniel answers, and maybe that is enough to calm Regina's doubts, because the young princess goes on him and kisses him with passion.

They love each other. They love each other, and it's beautiful, because they are finally happy; they both enjoy all the moments they can have (because maybe that unconsciously they know that it won't be forever).

To love is difficult for them; they must keep the secret for them, afraid that a servant could tell it to Cora and only Henry remarks that the look and the smile of his daughter seems to be more brilliant. But he doesn't involve in it (it is just later, after Daniel's death that he will curse himself for being so weak facing his wife).

It becomes almost a game between them; to hide from Cora and her surveillance, lie, run, cheat and hide; if it wasn't so dangerous, they would almost find this amusing. In a way, it is but they ignore that they are playing at a tragic game.

A game that will soon stop (but even then, the world doesn't stop to turn, even though Regina's pain is almost great as the world). The situation stays like that, in a status quo for two years and then, everything goes faster.

 _§§§§_

Regina is afraid, and Daniel is tired of waiting that something happens; he dreams of adventure, liberty and that _finally_ , something happens and changes the things. He is not disappointed; him also is ready to panic when Regina announces him her mother's project to marry her to Leopold. Regina tells him with horror that her mother wants her to become queen, and the princess really wants to escape to it.

If he wasn't afraid to appear as someone terribly naive, Daniel would have said that Regina needed no crown to be his queen.

But instead of it, he gives a ring to Regina as an engagement ring; it's a common ring, not being as beautiful or rich as King Leopold's and of course, Cora would give it a scornful look if she saw it. But this ring is the one of their love, so nor Daniel, nor Regina complain about this banality which is not seen as it by them.

Then the fairy tale becomes a true nightmare; Snow White sees them, but at no moment Daniel thinks that soon something terrible will happen. He trusts in Regina and he is persuaded that she will find a way, because after all _she is his queen so she should certainly find a solution_.

And this is what happens because Regina comes again and tells him that she fixed everything and Daniel trusts her; him, he is certain that everything will be fine and that they will be able to live happily, because they will be _together_ , and no matter what will happen.

But Cora finds them, and suddenly, for the first time, terror takes them, and they panic. Yet, something unexpected happens, and Regina's mother seems to accept their decision. At first, there is hope; hope that Cora will accept the choice of her daughter and let them in peace; hope that they can live together. The hope to live their happy ending _together_ , an end which would be mostly a beginning. But very soon, the hope disappears.

The future Queen of Heart approaches him, they _talk_ , and Daniel is almost ready to sincerely believe that Regina was wrong. Then the queen makes a surprising gesture, she _ripped out_ his heart, and _damn_ , it hurts, and it's _so_ painful that Daniel screams. And Cora _crushes_ his heart with _no_ pity and he _dies_.

Daniel dies; he dies by hoping for Regina that she will be happy without him, ignoring what will happen next. He doesn't know that the woman he loves will soon become one of the most cruel and desperate women of the Enchanted Forest…

Luckily, he won't know that, and that's a good thing, because culpability would probably have hurt him too much (because his death had triggered everything).

Their love was just a brief spark, short, fleeting and also wonderful; a moment of happiness stole to a life made in great part of pain (mostly for Regina, as Daniel's life hadn't been so long for that). Yes, you can summarise their story to a brief spark, whose moments of joy had been too short, and whose price to pay by Daniel had been so, so heavy.

Despite that, Daniel knew that he regretted nothing.

Years passed, and the Evil Queen's heart darkened little by little; but before that, she made a desperate attempt to change her fate and find again her lost love.

 _When it's dead, it's dead_ , says Rumplestiltskin as Regina tries to bring back him from death; in a way, it's true. But that, that was before the doctor played with science and magic and forces that are bigger than him.

 _§§§§_

Come back had been, on a certain point of view, something really fantastic; because come back from the Underworld and _live_ again had been wonderful. But, on the other side, there was also a sort of terrible pain in the fact that he was brought back to life in a so brutal way.

He was just able to wander in this strange town to which he understood nothing; his unconscious maybe pushed him to go to the stables. He had been confronted to a young boy whose he didn't even know the name (he may have appreciated to know that the second name of Henry was Daniel); but he made a gesture with his hand, and Daniel lived his death again, and that was also a terrible thing.

The pain came back and the stable boy thought he was again facing Cora (but in this case, where was Regina ?) and had a normal defensive reaction. When David took away Henry from the resurrected, Daniel was confronted to Regina, and he felt infinitely _happy_ when he understood that it was her. Their reunion, despite this, had been wonderful because for the first time since a long time, they had been able to see each other.

And maybe that, for a second, Daniel believed he could live again, with her, and happy.

But it hadn't been long, again, because this situation couldn't stay like that. Of course, pain was too important, and he was going to _die_ , obviously, and only with exceptions, bring back the dead people to life doesn't really work. And even though he desperately wanted to live with her, Daniel knew that he couldn't live another instant with this pain in his head. So, it's with a heavy heart that he asked to a desperate Regina to let him go. But she replied that she couldn't be happy without him nor fall in love again.

"So, you have to fall in love again, with someone else than me."

The former Evil Queen did as he wanted, and he disappeared again in the Underworld.

He left, even if he had so much things to say to Regina; how much he loved her, and how he missed her, and that it was her his unique and eternal happy ending. But he didn't have the time to do it…

Finally, to adjust his affairs in the Underworld had been quite simply, because come back in the world of the living made him understand that his main regret had been no to say to Regina to try to be happy without him. Understand that helped him to leave the Underworld.

So, that's with a light heart that he went in direction to Mount Olympus…


End file.
